Does self-help increase rates of help seeking for student mental health problems by minimizing stigma as a barrier?
Abstract
Objective This study examined whether self-help (books, websites, mobile apps) increases help seeking for mental health problems among college students by minimizing stigma as a barrier. Participants and methods A survey was conducted with 200 college students reporting elevated distress from February to April 2017. Results Intentions to use self-help were low, but a significant portion of students unwilling to see mental health professionals intended to use self-help. Greater self-stigma related to lower intentions to seek professional help, but was unrelated to seeking self-help. Similarly, students who only used self-help in the past reported higher self-stigma than those who sought professional treatment in the past. Although stigma was not a barrier for self-help, alternate barriers were identified. Conclusions Offering self-help may increase rates of students receiving help for mental health problems, possibly by offering an alternative for students unwilling to seek in-person therapy due to stigma concerns.
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Online self-help interventions help reach a sub-population of individuals who are unwilling to see a therapist.
“these online interventions help reach a sub-population of individuals who are unwilling to see a therapist”
From A systematic review and meta-analysis of self-guided online acceptance and commitment therapy as a transdiagnostic self-help intervention (2023) · cites this paper as Levin et al., 2018
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- Authors
- Levin, M. E., Krafft, J., & Levin, C.
- Affiliations
- Utah State University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Levin, Michael E.
- Venue
- Journal of American College Health
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2018-04-19
- Volume
- 66
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 302-309
- ISSN
- 0164-4300 (ISSN-L)
- 0744-8481
- 1940-3208
- OpenAlex
- W2788003782
- Cited by
- 56
- References
- 31
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 2
- FWCI
- 5.76
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of American College Health (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Digital Commons - USU (Utah State University) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Mental Health Treatment and Access
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Digital Mental Health Interventions
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Student Stress and Coping
- Keywords
- self-help, help-seeking, mental health stigma, self-stigma, university students, mental illness, barriers to treatment, mental health apps, online mental health resources, help-seeking intentions
- MeSH terms
- Help-Seeking Behavior, Adolescent, Mental Disorders, Female, Humans, Male, Mental Health, Mental Health Services, Patient Acceptance of Health Care, Self Care, Socioeconomic Factors, Students, Universities, Internet, Intention, Young Adult, Social Stigma, Mobile Applications
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